Transcript of Musee Des Beaux Arts

About suffering they were never wrong,The old Masters: how well they understoodIts human position: how it takes placeWhile someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waitingFor the miraculous birth, there always must beChildren who did not specially want it to happen, skatingOn a pond at the edge of the wood:They never forgotThat even the dreadful martyrdom must run its courseAnyhow in a corner, some untidy spotWhere the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horseScratches its innocent behind on a tree.

In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns awayQuite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman mayHave heard the splash, the forsaken cry,But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shoneAs it had to on the white legs disappearing into the greenWater, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seenSomething amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.Musee Des Beaux Arts w.H audenThe Narrative Painters accurately illustrate humans livesThe MeaningEveryone is focused on their own lives and goals, so they become apathetic towards other's lives or global events.*W.H. Auden's "Musee des Beaux Arts" uses allusion to provide context and specificity in regards to his meaning, juxtaposition to contrast ordinary events with important ones, and free verse form to create irony. These techniques reinforce Auden's meaning: humanity is apathetic towards other's suffering or joy, because they are consumed with their own lives. Speaker is viewing the painting as he is writing.

He is fully absorbed in what he is seeing.

Written in third personNone of his own thoughts or references to himself.Musee des Beaux Arts- The Brussels Museum of Fine Arts The Landscape of the Fall of Icarus is housed here Allusion!

Stanza 1 FormLyric Poem: "Subjective, reflective poetry with regular rhyme scheme and meter, which reveals poets thoughts and feelings, to create a single, unique impression."Hectic rhyme scheme in 1st stanza of 14 lines (ABCDAEFEBGHGHF) Hectic meter in both stanzas Written in 3rd person Figurative LanguageParaphraseThe Old Master Painters understood the nuances of humanity and suffering, how there are always people who are left unaffected by someone's suffering or joyous situationAllusion "The Old Masters"- European artists, pre-1800s, who's work has stayed popular for centuries due to their beauty and technical skill Examples: Da Vinci, Raphael, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Goya"Miraculous Birth"- biblical allusion to the birth of Christ Imagery "Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spotWhere the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horseScratches its innocent behind on a tree."Juxtaposition "For the miraculous birth, there always must beChildren who did not specially want it to happen, skatingOn a pond at the edge of the wood:" (I.7-9)is this a lyric poem?No, it's a free verse Enjambment "Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horseScratches its innocent behind on a tree."1 sentenceWith a lot of punctuation typically in the middle of lines"Its human position: how it takes placeWhile someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;Simple, no fuss dictionMatter of fact tone

ParaphraseBreughel's painting illustrates Auden's meaning created in the first stanza, some onlooker's of the event are aware of it, others are too busy carrying on their own lives. Form

Stanza breakChange in rhyme schemeThe patterns Auden previously established continueenjambmentsimple diction1 sentenceCleaner rhyme schemeIIJKLLKJKHowever it still lacks meter Stanza 2 acts as evidence to back up Auden's claim in the first stanza "In Breughel's Icarus, for instance:" (II.14)Figurative language Allusion"In Breughel's Icarus, for instance:" (II.14)Alludes to the paintingGives the readers evidence that people are apathetic towards the tragedy of the event, because they have their own lives to carry on. "how everything turns away Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman mayHave heard the splash, the forsaken cry, But for him it was not an important failure;" (II.14-17)"and the expensive and delicate ship that must have seen Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky, Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on." (II.19-21).Icarus (Greek Myth)"Son of Daedalus who dared to fly too near the sun on wings of feathers and wax... He [Daedalus] made two pairs of wings by adhering feathers to a wooden frame with wax. Giving one pair to his son, he cautioned him that flying too near the sun would cause the wax to melt. But Icarus became ecstatic with the ability to fly and forgot his father's warning. The feathers came loose and Icarus plunged to his death in the sea," (mythweb.com). Imagery Description of the painting Juxtaposition Juxtaposes important and tragic events with quiet day-to-day activities Reference to the ship calmly sailing on-having somewhere it needs to go Shift Whether they are suffering or joyous, they can convey these emotions and how other's react to these. "About suffering they were never wrong,The old Masters: how well they understoodIts human position:" (I. 1-3)*The allusions to art are vessels for conveying this meaningMusee des Beaux ArtsAllusion to paintings, and events give the poem context and give the reader a better understanding, by referencing Breughel's "The Landscape of the Fall of Icarus, he is able to combine a tragic event and an artists depiction of the event into one- which aids his point. Juxtaposition creates contrast between normal events and extraordinary onesForm creates irony by making the poem seem nonchalant when the subject matter is actually very serious So maybe, what Auden really wants is for us to be a little less apathetic and have some empathy for those around us and those who are ignored. overall, auden means to make a comment about apathy that humans have towards events because he feels it is very prevalent. he wishes for more empathy and caring versus being only focused on your life. Works Cited"Auden, Musée Des Beaux Arts." Auden, Musée Des Beaux Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.Digital image. Http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Pieter_Bruegel_de_Oude_-_De_val_van_Icarus.jpg/1024px-Pieter_Bruegel_de_Oude_-_De_val_van_Icarus.jpg. N.p., n.d. Web."Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology: Icarus." Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology: Icarus. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014."Landscape with the Fall of Icarus." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.""Musee Des Beaux Arts" by W H Auden (read by Tom O'Bedlam)." YouTube. YouTube, 6 Aug. 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2014."THE OLD MASTERS: Who Are The Old Masters? - Long Wharf Theatre." THE OLD MASTERS: Who Are The Old Masters? - Long Wharf Theatre. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2014.